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ROSES from page 73
Roses means going
through many fixed posi-
tions, most lasting more
than one year. Duties
include protecting the
parade's staging area, act-
ing as an aide, being
assigned to committees,
getting appointments to
chair committees, moving
up to directorships,
advancing to the execu-
tive committee and then
taking on coordinator
responsibilities.
"The life directors,
who are past presidents,
actually control the
Tournament of Roses,"
Okum explains.
In this year's parade —
before Stanford takes on
Wisconsin in the Rose
Bowl — Roy E. Disney
will appear as grand mar-
shal, escorted by Mickey
Mouse and Donald Duck.
Former Detroiter Ron Okum becomes president of
There will be a human
the Tournament of Roses in 2001.
banner, "Celebration
2000," made up of 2,000
"When I came to Pasadena, I
youngsters in costumes. The United
States Air Force Thunderbirds will fly
moved from being in a basically
Jewish community to a basically
over the parade route.
"We are having 54 floats, 25
gentile community," says Okum, a
bands and representatives of all four
former northwest Detroiter who
relocated to California after his par-
branches of the armed services,"
Okum says. "When they turn onto
ents moved there in the late 1950s.
"Even though there were synagogues
the main street, Colorado Boulevard,
they will be watched by a live audi-
in the area, it was very different.
"I'm very proud that I could ascend
ence in excess of 1 million and a
worldwide television audience of
to this position. The diversity that has
occurred in Pasadena over the past 10
400 million."
As Okum plans ahead for his
or 15 years is incredible. Our queen
and court, with members of Asian,
presidency, he is thinking about a
Hispanic, black and white heritage,
theme and celebrities he might
choose as grand marshal. Also on his
show how far Pasadena has come."
mind is some new scheduling. For
After Okum moved to California,
he got a degree in education and
the first time in 2002, the parade
and game will be on different days.
quickly found work as a teacher and
coach for baseball and football. For
The parade will be on Jan. 1 and the
game on Jan. 3 because of television
extra income, he settled into the
insurance business as a part-timer.
considerations.
"The president really makes many
When insurance seemed to offer
of the calls," Okum says. "We are in
more opportunities, he pursued that
full time and gave up teaching.
the process of figuring out what we
Later, he added real estate invest-
will do from noon on Jan. 1 to 5
p.m. on Jan. 3 from the standpoint
ments to his career enterprises.
"After I started my business, I met
of parties and entertainment."
Besides making time commit-
an individual whose father was going
ments throughout the year to pre-
to be president of the Tournament
of Roses, and he asked me to join
pare for the parade and game,
[as a volunteer]," Okum recalls. "It
Okum gladly spends many social
hours with friends he's met through
sounded like fun, so in 1969 I did,
without really knowing what I was
Tournament of Roses activities.
getting into. I've found that it really
Once a year, there is a tourna-
is a lot of fun and a lot of work."
ment trip put together by the presi-
Serving with the Tournament of
dent with participants paying their
own way. Okum has decided that
Israel will be the destination during
his tenure and is getting an enthusi-
astic response.
When Okum ultimately appears
in the parade as president of the
Tournament of Roses, he will be
joined by his wife, Nan, a former
teacher; two daughters and sons-in-
law; and at least three grandchildren.
He knows his viewing audience will
include Michigan relatives he often
visits, including maternal aunt Eva
Maister, maternal uncle Harry
Browarny and many cousins.
"Being a sole proprietor, I found
that the tournament taught me to
work within the framework of a cor-
poration," says Okum, who also
enjoys golfing. Its helped me with
many organizational skills and deal-
ing with many people working with-
in a structure."
Ron Okum is
one of 935
volunteers who
make sure the
parade and game
run smoothly.
Part of that structure explored the
Pasadena environment to try to avoid
any Y2K glitches. Okum has been told
that the city, which has its own water
and power company, has taken all the
precautions deemed possible to avoid
problems. Pasadena administrators will
be meeting at 3 p.m. Dec. 31 to see
what has happened overseas and take
any appropriate steps based on foreign
experience.
"Disney is putting on a very big
party for 2,000 people in Pasadena
and is showing Fantasia/2000," Okum
says. "People are paying $2,000 to go
to this fund-raiser for one of the
Disney charities. Our tickets for the
parade and game are all sold out." P1
Television coverage of the
Tournament of Roses Parade starts
at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1. The
Rose Bowl game begins at 4:30
p.m. Both can be seen on ABC.
Ma:2144
4 "
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Published by Tife-Detrolffewish News
12/31
1999
77